With the addition of 13 new “champions,” Alabama now has a total of 156 champion trees. The Alabama Forestry Commission has just announced the 2010 winners for Alabama’s Champion Tree program as identified and nominated by Alabama residents. According to Brian Hendricks, Alabama’s Champion Tree program coordinator, “Ten of these new champions outscored the 2009 champions, while three trees filled vacancies for species that did not have a current champion. Of the 13 new champion trees, two are co-champions which means their total scores are within 5 points of each other. In addition to these, another 17 trees were nominated but failed to defeat the current champions. We offer our congratulations to all of the nominators and owners of the new champions!”
Below is a list of the 13 new champion trees for 2010:
TREE SPECIES COUNTY NOMINATOR OWNER
American Smoketree Madison Melody Stewart Carol Rampey
Cottonwood, Swamp Baldwin Joseph Donnelly Vermelle McDill
Cypress, Pond Baldwin Fred Nation Historic Blakeley State Park
Fringetree Tuscaloosa Dexter Duren Robert I. Jones
Magnolia, Sweetbay Baldwin Tad M. Zebryk Historic Blakeley State Park
Maple, Florida Lowndes Wayne Webb Resource Management Service, LLC
Oak, Laurel Marengo Kim Mayton Mayton-Wilson Partnership
Oak, Post Montgomery Gerry Lash Peggy Phelps
Oak, Post Coosa Roger Vines James and Rose Clement
Pine, Slash Baldwin Chan West Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Plum, Flatwoods Baldwin Harry Larsen & Fred Nation Baldwin County
Sycamore Montgomery Russell Stringer Thomas Upchurch
Yellowwood Jackson Jason Shelton Alabama DCNR
For those unfamiliar with Champion Tree, the purpose of the program is to discover, recognize, and preserve the largest tree of each species in Alabama. Anyone can nominate a tree for Champion Tree designation by completing an on-line nomination form; however, an Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) forester is responsible for collecting the tree’s measurements. Once a new champion is identified, both its owner and nominator receive a certificate. The nominator is presented with a permanent tree marker by AFC county personnel, placed in proximity to the base of the tree.
For a tree to be eligible for the Champion Tree program, it must be a species that is recognized as native or naturalized in Alabama. A naturalized tree is an “introduced” species that has established itself in the wild, reproducing naturally and spreading. When determining a champion, three of the tree’s components are taken into consideration: circumference, height, and crown spread. The formula used to determine the size of a tree is as follows: one point for each inch of circumference, one point for each foot of height, plus one point for each four feet of the average crown spread.
Due to limited AFC resources, a nominator is encouraged to review the measurements of the current champion to get an idea if his prospective tree has a chance of defeating the current champion’s score before sending in a nomination. After all, there are millions of “big” trees in Alabama, but to be a CHAMPION a tree must be the absolute “biggest.”
If you know of a tree that you think might be the largest of its species in the state, you are encouraged to send in a nomination. To complete a form on-line, visit the AFC website at: www.forestry.alabama.gov and click on the “Informational Resources” link. Nominations may be sent in year round. For a tree to be eligible for Champion Tree designation in 2011, the nomination form must be received by the program coordinator no later than June 1, 2011. To learn more about the Champion Tree Program, visit the AFC’s website.
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For more information or interview, contact:
Brian Hendricks
334.240.9370
Brian.Hendricks@forestry.alabama.gov